Directed net

This is an introductory explanation of basic operating procedures for nets. For lists of individual local and regional nets, see the nets table.

A net or directed net, in radio-amateur operating procedure, is an organised meeting of multiple stations on a common frequency at a scheduled time. One station is designated to serve as net control; all requests to deliver message traffic to the net are initiated by sending an identifier or callsign to the control station and waiting for that station to reply before continuing.

The directed net structure reduces the number of message collisions, where multiple stations attempting to transmit simultaneously could otherwise cause unwanted interference to communication within the group.

Directed nets are commonly used for scheduled on-air meetings of individual radio-amateur groups. They are also activated to co-ordinate disaster and emergency communication between volunteers during local events and to co-ordinate collection of weather spotting activity in response to a regional storm watch or warning.

Tactical callsigns

Stations deployed to provide communication service during public events, or as part of emergency communications operation, will often bear an additional identifier meaningful within the individual net. While these do not fully replace the station's globally-unique government-issued callsigns, they are employed to address traffic within an net based on the rôle a station at a specific location plays in the larger operation. Each deployed ARES net at an event will typically contain one control, various fixed stations designated by place name and/or individual mobile units labelled by purpose (admin-one, repair 2...) depending on the incident and the needed response.

While there is normally only one control node on-frequency in the same net at any time, procedure should provide for another station to seamlessly take over the control-one identity and position if the existing control-one station loses backup power or has to abruptly leave the air for any reason. The use of tactical calls ensures that inbound enquiries to the net can continue to be addressed to control without regard for which individual licensed station on the net is currently occupying the rôle.

Operating procedures
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